Plug and Play venues make event set-up easy

At Plug and Play venues, everything’s already set up for you, so organisers can focus on the event itself.

Event hosts and operators will be all too aware of the challenging logistics that usually go with setting up events across different venues. Water outlets, electrical generators and Wi-Fi boosters are just some of the things that need to be sourced and set up for indoor and outdoor events. At RHC we have introduced our Plug and Play concept across our site to address some of the practical issues that this poses to event organisers. Mark Currie, our Head of Operations, explains.

What is Plug and Play?

When RHC underwent major development three years ago, we brought in a ‘Plug and Play’ design to make life easier for event organisers. What we mean by Plug and Play is a venue where everything an event organiser would need to host an event is already set up and ready to go. Events can be hosted anywhere across our 110-acres of parkland, main arena, track area, countryside area and parking for 15,000 vehicles.

Our venues, both indoors and outdoors come pre-equipped with things like electrical outlets, boosted Wi-Fi, water outlets and toilet facilities. This means that event hosts can bring along minimal equipment to our site, allowing them to focus on the event itself, rather than the logistics of the setting up and disassembly, which can be costly and time consuming.

There are very few venues in Scotland that offer these types of facilities. Prior to this update, our proximity to Edinburgh Airport and our great links to the motorway meant that we were already an attractive venue for hosts and attendees alike, but we wanted to take this a step further. That’s why we invested in this ambitious Plug and Play project, which now makes us an even better choice for all sorts of event operators, including those who organise festivals, live music events, conventions end expositions.

Why does Plug and Play benefit event hosts and operators?

Currently, the event industry is facing a period of unpredictability. Those familiar with the industry will tell you that event-goers are now less likely to purchase tickets a long time in advance, meaning that cash flow during the build-up poses a greater challenge to event organisers. Choosing a venue where facilities are included as part of the fee of hiring a venue significantly reduces the costs of carrying out an event - a huge boost for organisers.

The Plug and Play concept also incorporates things that might not immediately spring to mind when hosting an event, like purpose-built carparks designed for ease of loading and unloading, and permanent and well-maintained toilet facilities that spare organisers the inconvenience of arranging delivery and collection of portaloos. Facilities like these have proved their worth time and time again, helping the smooth-production of large-scale events like Little Mix, Elrow and the Royal Highland Show – there are simply less things for organisers to worry about.

An additional benefit of Plug and Play is that events are not just limited to one area of a venue. Ease of set up means that breakout rooms and events that take place both indoors and outdoors are possible, adding an extra dimension to events that make them stand out to attendees. In a climate that can sometimes be challenging for event organisers, we offer peace of mind and convenience. Hosts know that they can come to us for efficient setup as well as value for money. Having this Plug and Play concept in place gives event hosts the freedom to get creative and offer truly unique events to their guests.

Our ability to respond to the latest demands in the events industry is something we’re proud of, and part of what we feel makes RHC the venue of choice for event organisers and guests alike.

Interested in hosting an event with us? Get in touch – we’d love to here from you.